Chapter 66: Interpenetration Tactics
Han Dynasty, the first year of Yuanshuo.

Seeing that the Southern Army had agreed to break out with three cannon shots, and Zhu Di also fired three cannon shots, Liu Che slammed the table and said, "What a coincidence! Zhu Di is really lucky." He turned around and smiled, full of energy and enthusiasm: "Of course, my luck is also very good. With the Guannei Marquis, my Han Dynasty will completely eliminate the Huns and prevent them from disturbing my Han Dynasty's borders!"

Wei Qing also smiled and said, "I was also very lucky in the victory at Longcheng. Besides, it is my greatest luck that Your Majesty is willing to employ me." The first half of this sentence is modesty, and the second half is from the heart. If it were not for Liu Che, he might not be able to display his talents. At that time, even if he had talent and ability, what would it matter? He could only live a life of obscurity and obscurity.

Liu Che was even more proud. He laughed loudly and said, "Zhongqing, there is no need to be modest. Fighting a war may involve some luck, but luck is not guaranteed. It is your talent that has enabled our Han Dynasty to win!"

At this time, Liu Che did not know that luck was sometimes important. Except for Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, who were able to find the Huns in the desert because of their talent or luck, the rest of the generals were either lost or on the way to get lost. (This is a joke. The author knows that a big factor in Li Guang, Gongsun Ao and others getting lost was that they did not have a qualified guide.)
[After the Yan army fired three shots, General He Fu thought it was a signal from their side, so he ran away.

A key general ran away, and the soldiers of the Southern Army naturally began to get confused. Some wanted to resist, while others wanted to run away. Suddenly, they became a mess and the army was defeated. The Yan Army took the opportunity to launch a fierce attack and won a great victory, capturing 37 generals including Ping An, Chen Hui, and Xu Zhen, as well as many civil officials.

Unlike the military generals, Zhu Di released all the civil officials.

As for Ping An, many people in the Yan army were afraid of him. When they saw him being captured, they were happy and demanded to kill him. However, Zhu Di did not do so. Instead, he sent him back to Beiping. Ping An then surrendered to Zhu Di.

This battle completely defeated the main force of the Southern Army, and the Yan Army never encountered any decent resistance north of the Yangtze River. At the same time, the Battle of Gaixia, which determined the victory or defeat of the Chu-Han War 1,600 years ago, took place near Lingbi, which is also a coincidence in this battle.

Ming Dynasty, during the Hongwu period.

Fu Youde sighed: "Prince Yan is very understanding!" After this battle, it was only a matter of time before Emperor Jianwen was completely defeated.

The early years of the Han Dynasty.

After Liu Bang had eaten and drunk his fill, he sat lazily, "What a coincidence!" He then saw the summary of the next sky curtain, the same decisive battle, but so close, and laughed again, "My Han Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty are destined to be together!"

Seeing the panic on everyone's faces, he knew that they were worried about the 1,600 years, and also worried about his possible anger. He looked around and said, "We have known for a long time that the Han Dynasty would fall. It's not like we only knew about it 1,600 years ago. What is there to worry about? The Qin Dynasty of the First Emperor only lasted two generations, just like the Shang and Zhou dynasties before him, which were not immortal!"

[On the first day of May, the Liaodong troops mobilized by Zhu Yunwen were intercepted by Yan general Song Gui and others in Zhigu, and the entire army was defeated.

On the seventh day, the Yan army captured Sizhou. On the ninth day, Zhu Di sent Zhu Neng and Qiu Fu to lead hundreds of people to quietly cross the river and go behind Sheng Yong, drive Sheng Yong away, and capture Xuyi. On the eleventh day, Zhu Di summoned the generals to discuss the next move. Some suggested taking Huai'an, while others thought they should go to Fengyang.

But Zhu Di did not choose any of them, his eyes fell on Yangzhou.

He said to the crowd: "The walls and towers of Fengyang are still intact, and Huai'an has a lot of grain stored, so it is not easy to capture them. It is better to take Yangzhou directly and head towards Yizhen. Huai'an and Fengyang will naturally be frightened; while I will show my troops along the Yangtze River, the capital will be isolated and helpless, and people's hearts will be shaken, and internal rebellion will inevitably occur."

The Yan army then marched towards Yangzhou and arrived at Tianchang on the 17th. Zhu Di sent people to recruit Wang Li, the defender of Yangzhou.

Wang Li was planning to surrender the city, so he started to make plans. His actions were discovered by Wang Bin, the censor who wanted to resist, and he was imprisoned. But Wang Li had accomplices, so they tied him up while he was bathing, released Wang Li, and opened the gate to surrender.

All of this happened in one day.

On the 18th, the Yan army entered Yangzhou. On the 19th, the Yan army arrived in Liuhe.

Ming Dynasty, the 13th year of Hongwu.

"Yangzhou!" Although it was thought that Zhu Di would not go to Huai'an or Fengyang as Emperor Jianwen expected, he chose Yangzhou directly, which was beyond many people's expectations. However, if you think about it carefully, this move is really clever. Huai'an and Fengyang are heavily guarded and ready for battle, but Yangzhou is different. When everyone thought that Zhu Di was going to attack the first two, Yangzhou was not completely unprepared, but it was also relaxed. Otherwise, how did this traitor who surrendered the city find the opportunity?
However, being able to calmly make decisions in the battle and find the weak point of Yangzhou is something that most ordinary generals cannot do. You know, this is inside the defense line of the Southern Army and next to the base camp! Leading the army, finding a way out in the enemy's rear and base camp, constantly interweaving, and achieving strategic results, how easy is it? Moreover, Zhu Di has time constraints. He cannot stay in one place for too long and must always be on the move.

Apart from others, were the generals under Zhu Di mediocre? No, Zhu Neng and others were not only brave, but also had high war skills and talents, but they still had to choose between Fengyang and Huai'an.

Li Wenzhong often sighed, and Jiujiang was not at a loss after being defeated by such a person. He stood up and bowed to Zhu Di: "The Prince of Yan is gifted in military affairs and is rare in the world! He is a blessing to our Ming Dynasty!"

Other generals also saluted, which was a sign of their admiration for Zhu Di's military talent. Moreover, as a prince, Zhu Di was not on the same track as these military generals and nobles, so there was not much competition.

Although Zhu Di's military level had been demonstrated before, it was this large-scale deep penetration and detour in the sky and several movement turns within the Southern Army that truly demonstrated Zhu Di's level.

Zhu Yuanzhang was full of complexities and pride. Now it seems that Zhu Yunwen is just a mediocre person, how can he be compared with Zhu Di? And this mediocre person also likes to stir up trouble.

Zhu Biao stood beside him, his eyes showing pride in his brother's outstanding ability and relief that the Ming Dynasty had a successor: "Dad, if your son still cannot escape that disaster in the future, please do not let Yunwen and others succeed to the throne. Their succession to the throne would probably be a disaster rather than a blessing for the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded first, then turned his head and spat at him: "What are you talking about? You are the prince, you are blessed, how could there be any problem!"

Zhu Biao smiled.

Tang Dynasty, the third year of Zhenguan.

Li Shimin watched Zhu Di move around, accurately identify the weak points in the Southern Army's interior, boldly deploy his troops, and hit the target with one strike. His face was full of excitement and approval.

His fighting style was somewhat similar to this. When he was fighting in the past, he liked to penetrate the enemy's formation, then make a detour and continue to penetrate, and after a few moves, the enemy began to disperse.

Now, as he watched Zhu Di making such roundabout moves, he couldn't help but recall his own days on horseback, and for a moment he felt a little eager to make a move.

The ministers knew him well and saw what he was going to do, and they rejected him with their actions:
"Your Majesty, don't even think about leading the army in person!" "This time, we will have enough pharmacists to fight against the Turks. You don't have to worry!"

……

Li Shimin was a little depressed, but he also knew that the ministers were doing it for the good of himself and the Tang Dynasty, so he could only agree reluctantly. But this desire to fight was not so easy to eliminate.

[Zhu Yunwen saw that the situation was not good, so he first issued an order to the whole country to defend the king, and sent ministers to various places to recruit soldiers; at the same time, he adopted Fang Xiaoru's suggestion to send people to negotiate peace with Zhu Di in order to delay time.

The person he sent to negotiate peace with Zhu Di was also quite interesting.

He chose a person who was close to Zhu Di from the royal family: Princess Qingcheng. She was Zhu Di's cousin, but she should have been called Princess Qingyang during the Hongwu period. It was only after Emperor Jianwen ascended the throne that she was demoted to Princess Qingcheng.

On the 22nd, Princess Qingcheng arrived at the Yan army’s base and asked to cede land in exchange for peace, but Zhu Di did not agree.

He also wrote a reply letter, which roughly said that I would avenge my father and punish the treacherous ministers Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai, and then my good nephew and I could follow the old example of King Cheng and Duke Zhou. Of course, if that doesn't work, then I have no choice but to let my dear brothers and sisters move to the Xiaoling Mausoleum first, so that they won't be frightened when I break into the city.

Of course, the results of the meeting were more than that. Princess Qingcheng also told Zhu Di about the current status of several princes who had been deposed. The King of Min was exiled to Zhangzhou, the King of Dai was imprisoned in Datong, the King of Zhou and the King of Qi were in the capital, and these two were still commoners and were still in custody.

Ming Dynasty, the 13th year of Hongwu.

When Zhu Di saw the "Princess of Qingcheng", he immediately said: "Dad, big brother, you have watched my nephew do a good job. What's wrong with my cousin using the title of princess? Why is it not enough for him to reduce the power of the vassal, but he also wants to reduce the title of princess?"

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were also somewhat dissatisfied, and they were also somewhat confused. Princess Qingyang was indeed not the emperor's biological daughter or sister, but Zhu Yuanzhang's niece, so theoretically she could not be called a princess. But Zhu Yuanzhang doted on her, and she was also a niece, so he just conferred her the title of princess, and it didn't matter. Moreover, in the fourth year of Hongwu, according to the etiquette, Princess Qingyang no longer enjoyed the princess's share, and her salary was reduced from 2,000 stones to 500 stones, and she only retained the title of princess. Why do you still want to touch such an imperial aunt? It is meaningless and not in line with Taizu's wishes.

The other princes also sneered, especially the King of Zhou and the King of Qi (Prince Zhu Yu was only 1 year old, and Prince Zhu Gui was 6 years old and not in the palace) who were among the four princes pointed out in the miracle. They were full of ridicule, "My dear nephew, what are you thinking? You want to cut us off, and you also want to cut off my cousin? And now that you have run into trouble, you think of my cousin again? According to the years, my cousin should have been nearly years old at that time, and you just "snapped" her title away. You really have no conscience or blood relationship at all!"

The early years of the Han Dynasty.

Everyone expressed full disdain for Zhu Yunwen's behavior of stripping people of their titles and then forcing them to work.

It's not because he has no shame, what's the point of face? The key is that he can't get the desired result even if he does this! Like their Majesty, although he has no shame, he can always achieve his goal! This is the key.

[On the first day of June, the Yan army prepared to cross the river from Puzikou. Sheng Yong guarded the river bank and did not let the Yan army pass.

Just at this time, Zhu Gaoxu arrived, and Zhu Di painted a big pie for his second son: "Work hard, the prince is in poor health!" Hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu led his troops in a desperate fight, defeated Sheng Yong, and forced him to retreat to Gaozi Lane.

At the same time, Chen Xuan, the deputy governor sent by the court to support the emperor, defected to Zhu Di and brought along the sailors sent by the court.

Ming Dynasty, the 13th year of Hongwu.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his fourth son: "Fourth brother, do you really want to change the crown prince, the future prince?" His eyes were sharp and his expression was intimidating.

Zhu Di felt a little aggrieved. That was me in the future, how could I know what he was thinking? He could only say according to his current thoughts: "How is it possible? Chi'er is my eldest son, so smart and sensible, how could I want to replace him?" Now Zhu Gaochi was just two years old, and Zhu Gaoxu was still in the belly of Princess Yan (Empress Xu), and would not be born until the end of this year. Zhu Gaochi was now both the eldest and the legitimate son, and was Zhu Di's only son, the apple of his eye.

"So you just want to deceive your son with such lies?" Zhu Yuanzhang was immediately furious. "If this matter goes wrong, it will shake the foundation of the country! Is this what I taught you and your brothers? Where are your brains!"

The other brothers didn't expect that they would be caught in the tail of the typhoon after watching the fourth brother's joke. They lowered their heads obediently and moved away from Zhu Di to show that they were different from Zhu Di and would never do such a thing.

Zhu Di was a little hesitant and a little unconvinced. That wasn't me. He stiffened his neck and said, "Dad, I won't do that! And if he did that, I think he has a way to deal with it!"

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, "Then let's see what you can do when the time comes."

The sixteenth year of Yongle.

Seeing that the hint he had given to his second son that his eldest brother was in poor health was revealed by Tianmu, Zhu Di coughed awkwardly, pretending not to see Zhu Gaochi's gaze and completely ignoring the ministers. He simply turned to Zhu Zhanji and told him about his experience in leading troops.

Song.

Both Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi disagreed with this.

"Brother, Zhu Di's behavior may lead to chaos in the family! There were many cases of brothers fighting each other in the Tang Dynasty, and many of them were similar to this." Zhao Guangyi commented that promising huge benefits may not be realized after people take it seriously, which will inevitably lead to conflicts between brothers. Once the fight between brothers involves the throne, it will be a fight to the death.

Zhao Kuangyin nodded, "You and I brothers must set an example for the people of the Song Dynasty and the successors to prevent the Song Dynasty from experiencing fratricide." He looked at Zhao Guangyi and Zhao Guangmei, and said, "And don't make such casual promises."

Zhao Guangyi and Zhao Guangmei nodded solemnly: "I will remember what you said, brother, and set an example for you, so that our Song Dynasty will prosper forever!"

Zhao Kuangyin nodded with satisfaction.

(End of this chapter)